Behind the grin…

The story of Debbie

Rare indeed!
At the age of 22, I lost control of my body. I was on a wheelchair within 4 days, unable to walk, slurred speech, mental fog, loss of fine motor skills. At the time, Neurologist had no idea what happened. Ultimately, they blamed it on a viral infection settling in my brain. While I took a year for PT, OT & ST, I did get enough back to work. It was hard though. It’s been 27 years & my symptoms are progressing to the point I had to change the way I lived. There are days my body aches so badly that I do nothing but get through. I have cerebellar degeneration with ataxia. My vision is like living in a3D movie & my world spins. A lot! I walk like I’ve had a few shots & my ears never stop ringing.
Please take the time to educate yourself in regards to a loved ones situation. While we try to focus on what we can do and be positive, supportive family and friends are a tremendous help. It’s very easy to shut the world out because we’re embarrassed but that’s exactly what we don’t need to do. I’m sure hearing someone doesn’t feel great is annoying. I promise you to be the one living it is far worse.
Be kind. Don’t judge.
Xo